The Earl and Countess of Wessex have announced that they are resigning from their business careers to support the Queen during her Golden Jubilee year. Speaking at an awards ceremony in Weston-super-Mare on Saturday, Prince Edward revealed that he will be stepping down as director of production and joint managing director of the film company Ardent Productions at the end of the month. He also said that his wife had already ceased her day to day involvement with her public relations company.
“It is quite obvious that in this year, the Golden Jubilee,” he said, “we are required more than ever to support the Queen and to help my family shoulder some of the increasing responsibilities and workload. When we have fulfilled our current obligations we will cease to have any connection with our companies,” he said.
Ardent said it fully endorsed the prince’s decision. A spokeswoman for the couple said they would focus on charity work and Edward is likely to increase the number of organisations he supports. Over the next few months, the palace is expected to select suitable causes for Sophie Wessex to become involved in.
Edward and Sophie have been criticised in the past of using their status as members of the royal family to promote their careers. Last April, Sophie, the co-founder of RJH Public Relations, fell victim to a newspaper sting when a journalist, posing as an Arab businessman, trapped her into saying that her royal connections were useful in her business dealings. Following a public outcry, she was forced to resign her position as the firm’s head.
Five months later, Prince Edward was himself plunged into controversy when a crew from his own film company broke media guidelines and filmed his nephew, Prince William, at university. William’s father, Prince Charles, was said to be “incandescent with rage” at the incident.
Buckingham Palace has refused to comment on newspaper reports that the Queen is going to pay the couple an extra £250,000 as compensation for becoming full-time royals, on top of the £141,000 they already receive from the monarch’s private funds.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Edward and Sophie are to step down from their business roles to support the Queen in her Jubilee year
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Their decision comes in a year when royals will be much in demand for the wave of celebrations across the UK for Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee
